温馨夜读II PART3 14.Christmas Is for Love

 

[00:00.21]14.Christmas Is for Love

[00:05.65]Christmas is for joy, for giving and sharing, for laughter, for reuniting with family and friends, for brightly decorated packages.

[00:16.43]But mostly, Christmas is for love. I had not believed this until a small elf-like student gave me a wonderful gift on Christmas.

[00:27.43]Mark was an 11 year old orphan¹. He was a sweet and gentle child.

[00:32.55]I had not noticed Mark particularly until he began staying after class each day to help me straighten up the room.

[00:40.82]We did this quietly, not speaking much.

[00:43.98]When we did talk, Mark spoke² mostly of his mother.

[00:48.01]Though he was quite small when she died, he remembered a kind, gentle, loving woman.

[00:53.89]As Christmas drew near however, Mark failed to stay after school each day.

[00:59.23]I looked forward to his coming, and when the days passed and he continued to scamper³ hurriedly from the room after class,

[01:06.09]I stopped him one afternoon and asked why he no longer helped me in the room.

[01:10.77]I told him how much I had missed him, and his large gray eyes lit up eagerly as he replied, “Did you really miss me?”

[01:18.61]“I was making you a surprise,” he whispered confidentially⁴, “It’s for Christmas.”

[01:25.03]With that, he became embarrassed and dashed from the room.

[01:28.85]He didn’t stay after school any more after that.

[01:32.33]Finally came the last school day before Christmas.

[01:36.25]Mark crept slowly into the room that afternoon with his hands concealing⁵ something behind his back.

[01:42.34]“I have your present,” he said timidly⁶, “I hope you like it.”

[01:47.57]He held out his hands, and there lying in his small palms was a tiny wooden box.

[01:53.34]“It’s beautiful, Mark. Is there something in it?”

[01:56.50]I asked opening the top to look inside.

[01:59.01]“Oh, you can’t see what’s in it,”

[02:01.08]He replied, “and you can’t touch it, or taste it or feel it,

[02:04.89]but mother always said it makes you feel good all the time, warm on cold nights, and safe when you’re all alone.”

[02:12.73]I gazed into the empty box.

[02:15.67]“What is it Mark,” I asked gently, “that will make me feel so good?”

[02:20.59]“It’s love,” he whispered softly, “and mother always said it’s best when you give it away.”

[02:27.59]And he turned and quietly left the room.

[02:30.32]So now I keep a small box crudely made of wood on the piano in my living room.

[02:36.34]Yes, Christmas is for gaiety and song, for good and wonderful gifts.

[02:42.02]But mostly, Christmas is for love.

1 orphan   

n.孤儿；adj.无父母的

参考例句：

• He brought up the orphan and passed onto him his knowledge of medicine.他把一个孤儿养大，并且把自己的医术传给了他。
• The orphan had been reared in a convent by some good sisters.这个孤儿在一所修道院里被几个好心的修女带大。

2 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 scamper   

v.奔跑，快跑

参考例句：

• She loves to scamper through the woods of the forest.她喜欢在森林里的树林中穿梭嬉戏。
• The flash sent the foxes scampering away.闪光惊得狐狸四处逃窜。

4 confidentially   

ad.秘密地，悄悄地

参考例句：

• She was leaning confidentially across the table. 她神神秘秘地从桌子上靠过来。
• Kao Sung-nien and Wang Ch'u-hou talked confidentially in low tones. 高松年汪处厚两人低声密谈。

5 concealing   

v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Despite his outward display of friendliness, I sensed he was concealing something. 尽管他表现得友善，我还是感觉到他有所隐瞒。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• SHE WAS BREAKING THE COMPACT, AND CONCEALING IT FROM HIM. 她违反了他们之间的约定，还把他蒙在鼓里。 来自英汉文学 - 三万元遗产

6 timidly   

adv.胆小地，羞怯地

参考例句：

• She knocked timidly on the study door and entered. 她小心翼翼地敲了敲书房门然后进去了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The child glanced at his angry father timidly. 孩子怯生生地瞟了一眼怒气冲冲的父亲。 来自《简明英汉词典》